The event includes showings of television programs and four forums focusing on the development of Chinese documentaries, advertising, television editing and media groups.

Over the four days, more than 200 Chinese TV stations and program production and distribution companies from all over the country -- including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan -- will exhibit their latest productions.

Institutes and individuals in the trade from nearly 20 countries -- such as Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States -- will also take part.

It is estimated that more than 3,000 people will attend the exhibition and conference.

One of the biggest such events in China, the Beijing International TV Week provides an opportunity for domestic as well as overseas program suppliers to promote their entertainment products.

The event, sponsored by the Beijing Radio and Television Bureau, was first held in 1989. Over the past decade, it has witnessed the rapid development of the country's film and TV production as a business.

Last year, film and TV institutes in many places -- such as Shanghai, Beijing and Central China's Hunan Province -- united to establish film and TV groups in a series of mergers. These newly established groups have made this year's TV event a place to display their new look.

Like the previous years, Beijing-based film and television institutes are playing a leading role this year. According to the organizing committee, as many as 34 percent of the units participating in the exhibition are based in Beijing, consolidating the city's status as the country's cultural center.

The giant market on the Chinese mainland has also attracted companies from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. Pop culture from Taiwan and Hong Kong has played a dominant role in the mainland market. This year, most major film and television institutes from these regions will be at the exhibition.

( May 10, 2002)